El Pirata

Approaching three decades of croquetas and counting, El Pirata in Mayfair is a Spanish tapas restaurant of the old school. Unreconstructed tapas is the order of the day, chosen from an exhaustive selection of patatas bravas, pan con tomate, 5J jamón ibérico, prawn buñuelos, chorizo a la sidra and much, much more. The wine list’s remit is to offer regional finds at fair prices. Rioja and Ribero del Duero are the focus, supplemented by quaffable rosés, cava and older Albariños. A sub-£20 set lunch in Mayfair can’t be bad.